is there a first step to writing fiction?

i tried searching how to start writing fiction but almost all of the results were about writing and publishing a first novel. i'm not ready for that yet. i'm not sure if i ever want to get published or just keep it as a hobby and share online when i'm ready. i guess what i'm asking for is tips or how you think i should approach fiction writing. if you're a fiction writer how did you approach it? also i read some articles that said i should have a thorough plot outline and detailed characters before writing and i get how that could be helpful but to me it honestly sounds like work and would take the fun out of writing for me. how i used to write stories as a teen (and before self-doubt crawled its way in) was i'd get a small idea of the story and characters and just start writing. yeah the plot was all over the place and inconsistent, and the characters were flat and inconsistent but i had fun with it. but do i have to have a thorough outline and detailed characters before writing? is that the only way to do it? i did try fleshing one of my characters out but found I had a mental block when it came to questions like what his strengths and weaknesses are, his backstory, his relationships with his friends and family, you know the non-basic questions. idk. i don't want to give up on it again. i just want to play in the shallow end and learn before writing a novel but don't know how to.